Ramadan – The Month of Resistance

Ramadan (the month of fasting) is the 9th month of Islamic Calendar. During this month all adults and healthy Muslim male and female are commanded to abstain from food, sex, loose-talk, illegal activities, etc. from sunrise to sunset. In essence, during this month, like the other pillar of Islam, Hajj, the practicing Muslims are trained in greater degree of patience, discipline, sacrifice, brotherhood (Ummah), and selflessness than the rest of the three pillars of Islam performed year around. These five human qualities are considered to be the pillars of any resistance against foreign millitary occupation or propaganda war against Islamic faith.

In his last year (1429 AH) Ramadan address, the leader of Lebanese Islamic Resistance, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah said: “One must be able to distinguish between what’s good and evil, between his friend and enemy, and between what builds his righteousness or causes his corruption. Acquiring this kind of knowledge is a pre-requisite for one’s life, movement, and behaviour on personal and group level – whatever road he might be taking…..”

Apologist Muslims’ rhetoric aside – the month of Ramadan is not just for ritual enhancement but also to strive more to protect Islamic culture and land. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) took several drastic actions during the nine Ramadans he spent in Medinah before his death – which falls under military resistance. For example, in the first year (1 AH), he ordered the destruction of ‘Masjid ad-Dirar (Medinah) built by munafiqoon (hypocrites) in order to create division within the Muslim community. Battle of Badr (3 AH), in which the Prophet (pbuh) commanded 313 of his companions against an army of 1,000 armed kufars – was fought during the month of Ramadan. It was month of Ramadan (6 AH) when the Prophet (pbuh) sent a military expedition under the command of Zaid ibn Haritha against Queen Fatimah bint Rabiah of Wadi al-Qura. The city of Makkah was also attacked and conquered during the month of Ramadan in 8 AH. It was also the month of Ramadan (711 CE) when Tariq ibn Ziyad at the head of 12,000 Arabs and Berbers soldiers confronted King Roderic of Visigoths’ (Spain) 90,000 soldiers – in response to the plea of King’s six million Christian and Jew Serfs (slaves). King Roderic was killed at the battlefield and within next three years – most of Spain became part of Umayyad dynasty. In Ramadan 1186 CE – Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi drove out the Crusaders from Palestine forever and allowed the Jews to return after nine decades.

Dr. Bilal Philips in an article titled, Ramadan and Fasting, explains how to observe fasting during the month of Ramadan and its spiritual, medical and self-restraining benefits:

“It has been noted by medical experts that fasting improves the physical health in numerous ways. For example, during the fast body uses up stored cholesterol (fat) which are often deposited in the blood system, as well as in other fatty areas of the body. Thus, it helps to keep the body firm and minimize the danger of heart attacks.

Fasting trains the individuals for Jihad (fighting in the way of Allah) by giving him a good course in self-control. During war the desires of stomach and the private parts often lead soldiers of war to either commit excesses or to unnecessarily expose themselves to danger.”

Interestingly the ‘World’s Events Calendar’ on the most powerful Jewish think tank ‘Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)’ shows the following for the month of August: